Tag: Peace

Daily Spirit & Word: 812: Black Friday Freedom.

BLACK FRIDAY IS COMING.

If you want it, you’ve got it.

But be careful what you are wanting.

BLACK FRIDAY: Darkness….

We live in a world that is full of desire for things. Even the church has been infected by it and has focused much of it’s teachings on meeting the needs of people’s desires. So much so, that they now declare to people, “have faith, just believe it and you will receive it”. This is the name it claim it Gospel.

Of course we’re all meant to be Servants of the Lord ready to respond to one another’s needs, but simply to appeal to our desires begs a few questions, because those things that people desire most, are things God has warned us will lead us into the darkness and farther away from Him. If you desire darkness, then God is going to give it to you, big time: Watch OUT or you will receive your BLACK FRIDAY.

What things then do we desire most that God has forbidden?

1) Riches: To enable us to get lots of STUFF…

2) Sexual Desires:

3) Power and Control:

If we want these things, then God is going to give us over to these desires, but note this, when we’re given over to our desires, we’ll be in total DARKNESS, the end result being that we’ll be DRIVEN by those desires in an ever increasing measure. Our natural affections will be turned into inordinate affections.

Romans 1:18-32 (NIV) 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is for ever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worth while to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practise them.

What a SAD indictment against humanity.

Without Christ we are all in this DARKNESS.

Without Christ we are given over in various degrees to our desires.

Without Christ we have depraved minds.

NOTE THE PROGRESSION IN ROMANS 1:18-32.

They Exchanged: The Glory of God: Worshipping Created Things.

They Exchanged: The Truth of God: Choosing instead to believe a lie. Verse 24.

DARKENED:

How? By NOT glorifying God, not giving thanks to Him. Verse 21.

How? The TRUTH is Suppressed by Wickedness: Verse 18.

How? The TRUTH is Exchanged for a lie: Verse 24. Worshipped and Served Created things instead of the Creator.

God GAVE THEM OVER: To THEIR SINFUL DESIRES. Verse 24.

God GAVE THEM OVER: To SHAMEFUL LUSTS. Verse 26.

God GAVE Them OVER: To a DEPRAVED MIND. Verse 28.

AND A CONTINUAL LUST FOR MORE:

Ephesians 4:17-19 (NIV) 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

SATAN LOVES BLACK FRIDAY

And the great enemy of human beings, who have been Created in the image of the immortal God, loves it.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV) 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Who is Jesus? He is the LIGHT who gives the sure and certain HOPE of Freedom.

Prophet, Priest and King:

Prophet: He revealed Heaven’s Secrets to men: The WAY, The TRUTH and The LIFE:

Priest: He offered his life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

King: He rules and we must become subjects of His Kingdom, as we submit to His authority as our King.

Jesus is the LIGHT of the WORLD:

So that the people who are walking, living and bound by the darkness can see the LIGHT and are given hope of being set free from the DARKNESS.

The Good NEWS of Jesus Christ: BRIGHT FRIDAY.

He came to set all mankind free from the darkness and from bondage to sin and Satan. Though God has given us over to be controlled and ruined by our sinful desires, to shameful lusts and to depraved minds, there’s now the HOPE of freedom in Christ Jesus.

That FREEDOM comes as we BELIEVE in Jesus. TRUST in Jesus for forgiveness. REPENT of sin and FORSAKE sin, as we RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Lord. Then we are BORN AGAIN, given a renewed heart, mind, will and desires as we are FILLED with Holy Spirit. He is the one who will enable us to LIVE the abundant life he’s called us to.

When BLACK FRIDAY: Gets Hold Of A Believer:

If ever we get into BONDAGE again, then all we have to do is come back to Jesus Christ to be set free all over again. (I’ve known many Christians who get caught up in this world’s affairs, their desire for Holiness is dimmed, their hearts become dull and hard again to Jesus, to the Gospel, to saving others. All because they’ve chosen the darkness rather than the light. They’ve become bound by Satan again and need the freedom that only Jesus Christ can give them. Thankfully, we’re seeing believers being set free and given renewed hearts again.) It’s like the Gospel needs to be preached to those who already have believed and trusted in Jesus, because they need the NEW LIFE Christ promised to all who would believe and trust in Him. Of course there are many who believe in Jesus, but have never been born of the Spirit, yet there is HOPE of the freedom and the promise.

CONCLUSION:

Though there is a GREAT DARKNESS.

Though people are walking in this DARKNESS.

There is HOPE: The LIGHT has come to set us FREE.

Isaiah 9:2 (NIV) The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Jesus Christ is the LIGHT: Come, Believe that He died to set you free from your inordinate desires, those things that control your life and lead to death, to judgement and eternal Hell. He endured the Cross for your freedom. All you have to do is TRUST that He died to set you free and enable you to be forgiven of your sins. Once you REPENT by confessing your sins to God and turning from those sins, forsaking them, and receive Jesus by an act of faith. He’ll come and give you the promised NEW LIFE and FREEDOM. Amen!

NOW: Having trusted in Jesus, you can live the NEW LIFE with NEW POWER.

Ephesians 4:20-32 (NIV)
20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.
21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Black Friday Freedom

BLACK FRIDAY IS COMING:

BE The People of The Light

Black Friday reminds me of the DARKNESS, however we can know that through Jesus, we can be set free to live as the people of the light.

The New Life in Christ is a continual renewal: He will give you HIS HOLY DESIRES. Amen!

Daily Spirit & Word: 809: Remember The Coming King.

Remembrance Sunday: Sacrifice & Peace.

Zechariah 9:9 (NIV) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Good morning my friends, today we REMEMBER: It’s Remembrance Sunday, we’re gathering around the Memorial Cross outside the church today, which co-memorates those who died in times of war. However, we’re also thinking about our LORD Jesus, and Remembering that before His ultimate sacrifice, giving His life for all mankind, first He rode into Jerusalem just one week before He was arrested, faced a mock trial and was brutalised then put to death upon the Cross.

In riding into Jerusalem in such a way, in fulfilment of God’s purpose and design, foretold in the prophets such as Zechariah 9:9 above. In doing so, Jesus was allowing people now, because the time had come for him to die, to praise and worship Him as King, because He knew that this would enraged the Jewish authorities and seal his own fate.

1) Hear the Prophesy:

Zechariah 9:9 (NIV) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

2) Hear the Fulfilment of the Prophesy:

Mark 11:1-11 (NIV) 1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no-one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ “ 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

REMEMBER: Who Jesus is.

Jesus was always the KING: He is the KING of Kings: i.e. Remember the little book, our Queen gave her testimony and said, “Jesus is the KING that I serve”…

One day every King will bow and kneel before Jesus.

One day every soul that’s ever existed will kneel and bow bore King Jesus.

Men will go to war and give their lives in service of King and Country. Most go to war hoping to return, but in doing so, there’s always the great danger that by taking up arms, they will never return.

Jesus is heading into a WAR knowing in advance that He really is going to loose His life in the most cruel way.

REMEMBER: How Jesus Came:

Gentle and riding on a Donkey’s Colt.

Most Kings coming in Triumph would ride on a chariot or a white horse. However, just like King Solomon, Jesus comes as a King on a Donkey.

What’s So Important About A Donkey?

A King coming on a Donkey symbolised PEACE.

The mention of a donkey in Zechariah 9:9-10 fits the description of a king who would be “righteous and having salvation, gentle.” Rather than riding to war to conquer, this king would enter in peace.

Zechariah 9:9Highlights the Gentleness of Jesus (The Coming King)

Zechariah 9:10 Highlights His Peace: (The Universal Reach of King Jesus Peace).

Zechariah 9:10 (NIV) “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle-bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Note the many details symbolic of King Jesus’ PEACE:

“Take away the chariots”: an end to the main vehicles of war: Today we have Tanks, Planes, Rockets etc…

“Take away . . . the war-horses”: no need for horses used in war: Today we have Fast moving armoured cars…

“The battle bow will be broken”: no need for bows or arrows for fighting: Guns, Pistols, Mortars… BROKEN.

“He will proclaim peace to the nations”: His message will be one of reconciliation. WORLDWIDE PEACE (Peace between men and God & Each other).

“His rule shall be from sea to sea”: the King will control extended territory with no enemies of concern.

Oh how we pray for a day when all wars will cease and true and lasting peace prevails. However, we know, that until Jesus Christ returns, there will, sadly, be many more wars, because the hearts of men have not yet been changed to hearts of peace. However:

NOTE: In contrast to the weapons of war above, the Christian’s weapons and the way we war is to be different now: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

Jesus rules His Kingdom of PEACE today:

When we pray the prayer, “Thy Kingdom Come”

We are declaring that God (Jesus) is our KING: And that we want to be His subjects in His Kingdom of PEACE and LOVE.

NOTE: Jesus is King and rules in a Kingdom of PEACE which is Universal (no borders).

Jesus Kingship recognises no borders, no other rulers, He is the KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. Jesus KINGDOM is not land-locked or land-based, but HEAVENLY and it is in the HEARTS of Men and Women over the Earth.

LASTING PEACE IS POSSIBLE:

Today, we enjoy PEACE in the UK because of the sacrifice of so many in two World Wars.

They gave their lives and died so that we could live in peace and security.

However, wars have not stopped, Britain has been involved in many hundreds of mini-wars since the World wars.

Though they gave their lives hoping for peace, it didn’t happen, because it didn’t (couldn’t) change men’s hearts.

In contrast to the forlorn hope of WAR-Won PEACE: We can receive a PEACE in our hearts today because Jesus won His battle. His is a lasting PEACE.

Today, we can enjoy LASTING PEACE: Because of Jesus sacrifice.

He gave His life, so that we can enjoy eternal PEACE with God.

His peace is different, when we get the PEACE of God in our hearts, we’ll never again want to go to war with any man.

God so fills our hearts that He enables us to LOVE our enemies, and to do good to those who hate us.

————————————————

Jesus PEACE really does extend across the whole Earth,

Jesus REIGN as KING: is in the hearts of people all over the world, in every country.

There are Citizens of Heaven’s Kingdom all over the world today.

JESUS KING OF PEACE

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He allowed them, for the first time, to declare His Kingship.

Mark 11:9-10 “Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

So I’m asking you today:

Is Jesus your King?

Has Jesus brought His PEACE into your Heart?

Has Jesus broken your war instruments and vehicles?

Has Jesus taken away all conflict from your heart, so that you want to live at PEACE with everyone?

Has Jesus taken up the reign of your soul?

Is Jesus your King of PEACE?

If not, them make Jesus your KING right now: Enjoy PEACE in your soul. Be forgiven, be cleansed and freed from sin, receive the Kingdom of Peace.

If you have received the King of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, then know this;

He wants His PEACE to be in the Heart of EVERY human being alive today.

His Kingship from shore to shore, extending over all Creation.

PRAYER: On this Remembrance Sunday:

We PRAY for Jesus Christ’s PEACE to take up position in men’s hearts.

Let’s enroll in Jesus PEACE Army and take the message of PEACE and Good News to all men. Amen!

That war may cease, conflicts die, weapons used no more in anger. Amen!

REMEMBRANCE:

We also remember the seven people who were killed this week in the tragic tram-car accident in Croydon just a few miles away from here. We stop to remember them outside and those, over fifty, who sustained serious injuries. Let’s pray for their families and ask the Lord to bring the comfort and peace that only He can bring in times of grief. Amen!

Be blessed in Jesus,

Don.

Further Reading: Christian Weapons of War:

2 Corinthians 10:2-5 (NIV) 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be towards some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Daily Spirit & Word: 748: Egypt Air Crash.

Go in PEACE to LOVE and SERVE The LORD.

Trust IN the LORD.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Good morning my friends, the day after tragedy strikes is never really a good one, because we can all feel something for those who’ve lost loved ones. We try and put ourselves in their shoes, to think how we’d be feeling right now if someone precious to us was aboard that plane. When you see on the News mothers, husbands and wives waiting anxiously for any sign of hope, then all hopes are dashed. It’s a horrific tragedy. Today I’m asking the LORD to bring comfort, strength and hope into their hearts.

Asked if he could rule out terrorist involvement, the Egyptian premier told reporters: “We cannot exclude anything at this time or confirm anything. All the search operations must be concluded so we can know the cause.”

French President Francois Hollande also said the cause was unknown. “No hypothesis can be ruled out, nor can any be favoured over another.”

At this moment in time, we just don’t know what happened to the plane. Pray for miracles for those who anxiously await news.

One commentator has said, “It’s the end of Egypt’s Tourism industry”… I don’t think so. Egypt is such a special place in the hearts of millions of people all over the world, and no matter what the News says, there are countless millions of nice, ordinary, decent, loving, gentle and humble families living in Egypt. They’ll give you are warm welcome and extend the hand of friendship.

Pessimism is a general disposition to look on the dark side and to expect the worst in all things. It’s a kind of despair, disposition or temperament and our News reporters tend to dwell too much on this dark side.

Yes our heads might tell us, “It’s dangerous to go to Egypt”, but don’t listen to your head, listen to your heart. Someone said once, “A good rule for going through life is to keep the heart a little softer than the head. ” Be kind-hearted and true; LOVE covers over a multitude of sin.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

My son, Richard, travels to many places in the world, places most ordinary folks would never go; Jordan, Cuba, Egypt, Russia, Mekong River, Belize Jungles, etc… He loves it, he meets the ordinary folks, learns about their cuisine, brings back recipes and shares with his friends his experience of those peoples. We all know there are horrible people who want to do terrible things, but let us be the ones who’ll not be governed by FEAR.

I know from my own travels in the Royal Navy and holidays, that there are always kind-hearted folks in every culture, in fact they are the majority. In Northern Ireland at the height of the ‘troubles’, I went on an evangelistic mission. During that mission we met people from both the Catholic and Protestant communities, they were warm, welcoming, kind, generous and friendly. So don’t be Pessimistic, don’t give into fear, trust in the LORD, let Him direct your paths and travel with His Heavenly Security.

Let’s pray for those who’ve suffered tragedy and lost loved ones, let’s pray for Egypt and for the PEACE and JUSTICE in that land, but let’s also determine in our hearts that we’ll never cut them off from our friendship and love. Egypt has been and always will be of historical interest to the world, it’s people are just like you and me, most of them, ordinary hard-working, decent folks.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

It’s my hope and prayer that you will all have an AWESOME weekend. Stay close to the Lord Jesus and let His peace rule in your hearts today. Amen.

Daily Spirit & Word: 733: When Jesus Forgives.

The Woman With The Alabaster Jar

Good morning my friends, you know I said yesterday that it was my day off, well in the evening I had to attend a School Governor’s Meeting at St Luke’s School. The Head of School shared about a certain class that were being challenged to make progress and try harder. On the wall in huge letters it reads, “With Jesus Help We Can”… she pointed out the words and encouraged the class to ask for the Lord to help them understand. She reported, “That class is making progress, the children’s faces light up and they actually ask Jesus for help”… My friends, when we see Jesus at work like that in our schools and in the lives of children in London today it is an amazing encouragment. It also makes me want to turn afresh to the Lord Jesus in faith today.

Today’s passage comes from Luke’s Gospel and he shares the account of how a sinful woman finds forgiveness in Jesus, but what is it about Jesus in this story that encourages you?

Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)
36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two men owed money to a certain money-lender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned towards the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”First The Pharisee’s Hospitality:

At first you think this Pharisee is being kind to Jesus, inviting him to dinner, but we soon discover that he didn’t even perform the customary greeting or extend the normal welcome. He didn’t greet Jesus with a kiss, he didn’t wash Jesus’ feet, he didn’t anoint Jesus with oil. All of these were normal practice for an honoured guest. It was just customary good manners. It’s a bit like offering someone a cup of tea and a little snack when they come to visit you in London. What does that tell you about the Pharisee? It reveals that his motives for inviting Jesus to dinner were NOT to honour Him. So we’re left wondering why on earth the Pharisee invited Jesus in the first place.

A Rabbi would be welcomed with a customary kiss.

A Rabbi would have his feet washed, because in those days the roads were dusty and feet would get dirty. The cool water on the feet would also bring comfort.

A Rabbi would also be anointed with some kind of perfume; normally rose water.

That Pharisee didn’t honour the Lord Jesus.

My friends, when you follow Jesus Christ today, He comes with you wherever you go. That’s why Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one of my Disciples, welcomes me”… He is with us, but how do we honour Jesus’ presence? Does his presence make us weep over our sinfulness? Does his presence make us want to honour him and serve him, like the sinful woman did?

Let’s see what she did for Jesus that day.

The Sinful Woman’s Actions:

A SINNER: She knew she was a sinner, she had “lived a sinful life”

COMES TO JESUS: She came where she knew Jesus was: Whenever a Rabbi entered a home of a wealthy man, many people would gather around the honoured guest, homes were much more open in those days and that explains how the woman could enter the house so easily.

READY TO ANOINT: The very fact that she carried an Alabaster Jar full of perfume indicates that she intended to use it to anoint Jesus. So we don’t know if she’d already met Jesus and had been forgiven by him. Perhaps she was the woman who’d been caught in the act of adultery, we just don’t know.

WASHES FEET WITH TEARS: What we do know is this: She wet Jesus feet with her tears: She was either full of remorse about her sinful life or so overcome with joy at being forgiven by Jesus. All we know is that In the presence of Jesus she wept. She was crying so much that her tears soaked Jesus feet.

DRIED FEET WITH HAIR: Next she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. This too shows us the extent of her remorse and sadness about her sins. Who would wipe a person’s feet with their hair? That’s not normal. A woman’s hair is her glory, but she’s just used it to do the most base act. I don’t know anyone who’d wipe a person’s feet with their hair today and our feet a cleaner than those of someone in Jesus day.

KISSES JESUS FEET: Then she began to kiss Jesus’ feet: Who kisses another person’s feet? It’s normal for a defeated foe to bow down and kiss the conqueror’s feet. But it’s not normal to kiss someone’s feet. She must have been so overcome with relief and joy to have been forgiven by Jesus.

ANOINTS WITH OIL: Next, she anointed Jesus feet with the perfumed oil from the Alabaster Jar. The smell in the Pharisees’ house would be sweet and pungent.

Though she was a sinner she did everything the host of the house should have done to honour him. It’s strange that a supposed ‘righteous’ man, the Pharisee, didn’t see the need to honour Jesus with the normal good manners, but the SINNER didn’t stop honouring him from the moment she arrived.

The Pharisee’s Attitude Towards The Sinful Woman and Jesus.

Luke 7:39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

In those days if a Pharisee was touched by a sinner or a sin contaminated person, then he’d be ritually unclean, so they avoided being touched. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan how the Priest and Levite avoided helping the wounded man, for fear of being made unclean. That’s not what God meant when He said we should avoid sin, whenever we can help someone, we should. Even the most sinful person can be given hope of a changed life. But according to the Pharisees, once a sinner, always a sinner. They looked down on sinful people and avoided all contact with them. Even today some strict sects of Jews will not touch anyone who is not a Jew. They view them as sinners or unclean. So the Pharisee is condemning of Jesus as well as having a stand-off attitude towards the sinful woman. He’s questioning Jesus prophetic anointing simply because Jesus is allowing himself to be touched by a supposed sinner. Simon didn’t know if Jesus had already forgiven this woman.

You can almost hear the condemnation: “She is a SINNER”… i.e. in the mind of the Pharisee, there was no hope for the woman, she was a sinner once and she’ll always be that sinful woman.

Jesus Didn’t Condemn or Criticise The Sinful Woman.

He’s a wonderful example of how we should be towards those we KNOW are sinners. We cannot be like that Pharisee, because we know how much the Lord has also forgiven us. We too are sinners and we too need to be cleansed and forgiven.

That little story of Jesus about the debts being forgiven.

I love the way that Luke has recounted this meeting in the Pharisee’s house.

He sets the scene and right in the middle includes one of the most amazing and insightful teachings of Jesus.

In just two verses we discover pure GOLD:

Luke 7:41-42. 41 “Two men owed money to a certain money-lender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Five Hundred or Fifty: That’s an amazing difference. Of course the one who’s been let off the most debt is the one who’d be most appreciative. But you’d think that the one who’d been forgiven a little would also be a little bit grateful.

The Pharisee got it right, but then Jesus points out the sinful woman: She’s been doing for me Simon what you should have done. Imagine how Simon the Pharisee must have felt at that moment in time? Confronted and shown how wrong his own attitude was towards both the sinful woman and Jesus. I’ll bet he wanted to hide under his dinner table that day.

I don’t know if you’ve ever had that feeling coming upon you? I’ve had it a few times, when the Lord brings conviction, all you want to do is hide. I had it in church once, I was looking at other people and in my heart judging them. Then the Lord spoke to me, “Who are you to condemn anyone else, I’ve forgiven them, I’ve also forgiven you”…. I’ll never forget how embarrassed I was, my face went red, I bowed my head and closed my eyes and asked Jesus to forgive me. I was reminded of just how much I’d been forgiven and that it was my own sins that put the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet, and the spear into his side. It was my sins that thrust the crown of thorns upon His head.

The the most amazing pronouncement from Jesus lips:

“Your sins are forgiven.” and “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The woman’s actions towards Jesus demonstrated her faith. She believed that Jesus was the one good, righteous, religious, Rabbi who wouldn’t condemn her, she came to Jesus and cried at his feet and ends up being forgiven and more “go in peace”. There’s a deep peace we experience when we’ve been cleansed and forgiven by the Lord Jesus.

I’ve been a Christian since 1984, but I feel Jesus is asking me afresh this morning, “Donald, How’s your LOVE for Me?”

I think about that poor woman who was so aware of her sinful condition and probably reminded about it constantly by those who knew all about her life. No wonder she was so filled with faith when she encountered Jesus and wanted to do anything she could for him.

The story doesn’t tell us when Jesus forgave the woman. It might have been before he went to the Pharisees house to have dinner that day and she later discovered where Jesus was and wanted to do something special for Him. We don’t know if it was at the house she was forgiven, but we know she was a sinner, she acted in faith and was rewarded by being forgiven and sent away in peace.

I think how much I love Jesus will be determined by how much I know I’ve been forgiven and the cost of my forgiveness. Jesus gave His life so that I could be clean. When I experience the cleansing and washing away of my sins it produces within me an inward gratitude and inexpressible joy, it means that I want to serve the Lord Jesus and give so much, that like the woman with the expensive alabaster jar, I’ll pour out my life and what I’ve been given in His service. Oh LORD Jesus, I love You.

Jesus gives us FAITH to believe, then rewards us when we use the FAITH we’ve been given and gives us PEACE. That’s such Amazing Grace.

Finally, we’re left with the people questioning: “Who is this who even forgives sins?” The Jews knew that God alone can forgive sins. Jesus was God on earth, because we know too that ONLY God can forgive sin. But I’ve written enough for today 🙂

How much we love Jesus will be shown by how much we appreciate we’ve been forgiven by Him.

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday and a wonderful faith filled weekend with Jesus.

Daily Spirit & Word: 726: Don’t Give-Up On Seeking The Lord.

The Unjust Judge Gives IN to Persistence.

Good morning my friends, do you know how our Nation is the way it is today? It’s because minorities complain the most. It gets to the point that the one’s they are complaining to just cave-in and give them what they want. I’m sure they do it for good reasons, but one can’t help thinking they’re doing it just so the once complaining will go away and stop grumbling, nagging and hen-pecking . However, once they’ve gotten their way once, they’ll be encouraged and emboldened to come back and push for more.

“I hate to be a kicker, I always long for peace, But the wheel that does the squeaking, Is the one that gets the grease.”

By Josh Billings: An American Humourist.

A ‘kicker’ in Josh’s day was someone who complained a lot.

The ‘wheel’ that does the ‘squeaking’ (i.e. the ones complaining the most) get what they’re asking for.

“The Wheel That Does The Squeaking Gets The Grease”

In the Bible there’s a story about a woman who wants justice, but the unjust judge ignores her please for help, however;

Luke 18:1-8 (NIV) 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ “ 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Jesus wanted to show us Father God’s attitude towards justice, i.e. How God wants to see that those He loves will get justice, and quickly. But, do you remember how long it took for Nelson Mandela? 25 YEARS in Prison on Robin Island. In the end, his patience, persistence and fortitude won-out and South Africa is now FREE from Apartheid.

Do you remember Jacob, how he wrestled with God all night? He wouldn’t let go of the LORD until he received his blessing.

Genesis 32:22-32 (NIV) 22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” 29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” 31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

We must bear in mind what was happening with Jacob when he wrestled with God: Jacob’s name means “Deciever”, but a more literal translation of his name is “Grabber” or “Grasper”… He came out of the womb grasping his twin brother Esau’s heel. Later on he deceived his father and grabbed, grasped his brother’s birthright blessing. He was fleeing his father-in-law Leban because he’d sneaked away in the night with all his possessions. Now he was headed home to meet-up with his brother who was hell-bent on revenge and had threatened Jacob’s life. So what did Jacob do? He’d sent everything he owned, including his wife and children and all his precious possessions ahead of him to pacify his brother’s furious anger. He was left with nothing but himself. God came to him and he wrestled with the Angelic presence of the Lord. Jacob grasped, grabbed hold all night until he got his blessing. He also got a name change “One who wrestles with God”.

Has there been a time in your life when you’ve prevailed in prayer, kept going, believing, having faith, not giving up; until the Lord blessed you? There was a lady I knew who couldn’t conceive for over eight years, she’d tried everything, but one day she came forward for prayer in church. A few weeks later her mother (who I didn’t know) came running up to me in the street and shouted, “You got my daughter pregnant”… First I thought about arguing, thinking in my head she was accusing me. How foolish, she was just overjoyed, because the LORD had answered her daughter’s prayer. She didn’t just have one baby, she had twins. The Lord gave her more than she bargained for. Sometimes we don’t get our answers for a long time, because we come to God last. We try everything else, but God. My friends, when you’ve got something going on in your life that you need help with, something your striving or struggling over, come to the Lord with it first.

My friends, Jacob didn’t deserve God’s blessing.

The woman deserved the un-just judge’s justice,

We don’t deserve anything from God,

BUT: In His mercy and grace, He’ll give us what we need.

If it’s justice, as in the case of Nelson Mandela, God gives it quickly (though not our version of quickly).

If it’s seeking; God’s guidance, power, provision, protection, forgiveness, mercy or Justice, then know this my friends, God hears the prayers of those who pray in faith.

Jesus told that story of the Persistent Widow to show us how to KEEP coming to the LORD, so we wouldn’t give up on seeking God.

“The wheel that does the squeaking gets the grease.”

God’s not encouraging us to be ‘grumblers’, in fact the Bible tells us not to grumble, but He’s encouraging us to keep going, to keep coming to Him for everything we need in life.

Have and awesome weekend, keep close to the Lord Jesus, be filled afresh with His Holy Spirit and don’t give up on prayer, because your answer might just be around the corner.

God HEARS you, so keep praying in faith, believing and trusting in Him who loves you.

Don.

P.S. Remember the great old hymn: “What a Friend we have in Jesus”?

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear, What a privilege to carry, Everything to Him in prayer.

Daily Spirit & Word: 717: The Power Of Jesus Word.

There is POWER in Jesus to Heal

We’ve been following through Mark’s Gospel and we’re now on Chapter 5. The last teaching was about Jesus Power and Authority over Satan and The Demonic, today we observe Jesus healing and raising a little girl from the dead.

The Two Twelves: The Two 12s…
The Woman who has been bleeding for 12 years.
The Little Girl was 12 years old when she died.

Mark 5:21-43 (NIV) 21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realised that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ “ 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Jairus Get’s Bad News: 35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

12 Years Bleeding: “Just One Touch and I will be healed”.

My friends, that’s real FAITH.

“Immediately” Jesus realised POWER had gone out from Him.
That touch of faith brought the POWER of HEAVEN.
My friends, when we approach God with FAITH: The Power of Heaven is OPEN…
FAITH: is believing without doubting. It’s a GIFT from God, so that no one can boast. All faith is a Gift from God.

But remember, our FAITH in what God can and will do will grow the more that we know that we can TRUST Him.
It’s a kind of faith that believes without doubting. Do you have that kind of faith?

Let me illustrate: You already have that kind of faith.

A Chair: How do you know that the SEAT you’re sitting on can hold your weight?

When you came in here today, you didn’t stop to check the chair out, to see if it was wobbly or anything, you just sat right down on it.
If you were a stranger walking into this building today, how would you know you could sit down and the chairs would support your weight?
That’s right, you can see other people sitting down. Lots of them, and they are not falling to the floor with everyone laughing at them.

In the same way that you can see others have trusted their chairs and not fallen to the floor, you can also see that in this place, some of the people have put their faith in Jesus Christ. No matter what happens in their lives, they don’t fall down, their faith remains, they keep trusting in Jesus, but why? Why do they keep trusting in Jesus, even when life get tough? It’s because they know Jesus, long years of reaching out and touching the Saviour in faith, have given them the assurance that He’s in complete control and knows what He’s doing.

So if you can see that others have had FAITH in their seats, can you see how impressive it is that others have that same kind of FAITH in Jesus. They have sat in those seats many times, so when they walk in to church they don’t even think about it.

My friends, this Woman who’d been bleeding for 12 Long Years: Must have heard about Jesus’ Miracles and as He passed by in the Crowd that day, she thought to herself, as the Scriptures tell us, “If I just touch the hem of His garments, I will be healed”…

What amazing reasoning: “If this Jesus can heal people of all kinds of diseases and deliver them from Demons, then a little issue of bleeding for 12 years will be nothing for this Miracle worker, all I need to do is reach out and touch Him”.

More about that reaching out to Jesus in a minute, but look what happened next;

NEXT: Jesus Brings LIFE back into a 12 year old dead girl.

The Girls Father: first a word about Jairus.
What encouragement Jesus gave Jairus.
He was a Synagogue Ruler… The Synagogue was a place of worship for Jews. Jairus was a very important man in society.
Mark 5:22-23 “Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.””

“Jairus FELL AT HIS FEET”: Here was a Ruler falling at Jesus feet and begging Him… My friends, if you want Jesus to do something for you, something you are desperate for the King of Kings to do for you, have you gotten to the point of falling to your knees and pleading with Jesus? Sometimes, we don’t get answers to our prayers UNTIL we’ve gotten to our knees in prayer before God.
It’s not the act of kneeling, it the act of recognition of who Jesus is. Jairus knew only that Jesus was a Miracle worker and teacher. We know that Jesus was God on Earth, that He died because of His love for us, so that we could be forgiven and cleansed of all sin. When we kneel before Jesus today, we’re kneeling before God.

KNEELING: can be just a habit: many people kneel in prayer because that’s what they’ve been taught to do.

But there’s another kind of KNEELING: It’s A Humbling yourself before God. It’s recognising that you don’t deserve anything from Him and yet still coming to Him. Pleading for His grace, mercy, kindness… He loves our FAITH… He loves our TRUST… What’s stopping us KNEELING before Jesus?

PEOPLE KNEEL BEFORE THE QUEEN:
When the New Years Honours come around, people kneel before the Queen to be Knighted. They bow the knee in recognition of her Majesty and Authority. She wears a Crown to symbolise her Majestic Authority over her subjects. When she knights someone she says, “Arise Sir Knight”…
Jesus is the KING of Kings and Queens.
Our Queen has famously said, “I bow the knee to only one other KING and that’s KING Jesus Christ”… The Queen bows to Jesus. Jairus, the Ruler of the Synagogue was in good company… But have we actually BOWED before Jesus?

JUST ONE TOUCH OF THE KING:

The Queen Touches with her sword and says “Arise”… But the KING, our LORD Jesus touches and we cannot help but rise to new heights.

Imagine what frustration Jairus must have felt, when his little girl was at home dying, Jesus stopping along the way to ask, “Who touched Me?”… He would have been thinking to himself, “Oh please Master, come as quick as you can or it will be too late”…
What did Jairus ask Jesus to do for him? “PUT YOUR HANDS ON HER”
Jairus knew there was POWER in the touch of Jesus The Miracle Maker. “Put your hand on her so that she will be healed and live”
Just ONE TOUCH of the KING… Changes everything… (I love that song, because it speaks of a TRUTH about my King Jesus).

If it’s us reaching out to Jesus in FAITH: Like the Woman bleeding for 12 years. Changed her life forever. POWER of Heaven Opens: By Faith. If it’s up Jesus reaching out to us in His MERCY: Like the little girl’s father, Changed her life forever and her family’s life forever. POWER of Heaven Opens: By Faith.

Just ONE TOUCH of the KING: Changes EVERYTHING.

BUT THEY LAUGHED AT HIM:

Notice the CROWD that didn’t believe.

Like they laughed at Noah, when He built the ARK of God.

Like Sara laughed when the LORD said she would have a baby when she was nearly 100 years old.

My friends, if someone came to you and said, “I’m building an Ark because God is sending a flood to destroy the Earth” you’d probably laugh too.
If someone came to your funeral and said, “Put the boy down, I’m going to bring him back to life” You’d probably laugh too.
If someone came into a hospital today, when the doctors has said, “He’s DEAD” and he said, “He Going to LIVE” those Doctors would probably laugh too.
The CROWD Laughed at Jesus. It’s a laugh of incredulity. It’s a laugh of unbelief. They reason, “We know she’s dead”…

What did Jesus do when they laughed at Him?

That’s right, He put them out of the room. (Mark 5:40).

My friends, it’s a DANGEROUS thing to Laugh at God.
Laughing is Doubting when there’s EVIDENCE that it’s possible.
That kind of laughter is an insult to God.
Jesus put them out of the room.

God put Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, when they doubted God and believed the Devil.

God put Abraham’s wife Sara out for a while, when she laughed, when told in her old age she’d have a baby.

God put Zechariah, John the Baptist’s Dad out for a while when he laughed, when in their old age he and Sarah would have a baby; He was struck dumb until he wrote what the Angel told him, “His name shall be John”.

Unbelief (Stubborn Doubt) means exclusion from the things of God.
“He put them all out”… For laughing. For their unbelief.
My friends, if you are LAUGHING at the possibilities of what God can do today, be aware that it’s going to be very costly indeed. You might just miss the best Miracles you’ll ever witness in your life; only the parents and Jesus’ disciples; Peter, James and John, observed Jesus touching the little girl and her coming back to life.

Remember what Jesus said to Thomas: “Stop DOUBTING and BELIEVE”…. “It’s ME”….
Jesus response to Thomas’ faith once he’d seen Him: John 20:29 (NIV) “Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””

Jairus trusted Jesus, instead of laughing, Jairus was full of hope and expectation and faith, he was with Jesus and His disciples in the room when Jesus touched the little girl and LIFE came back into her dead body. That touch of Jesus would change Jairus’ life forever.

After giving the girl back her life Jesus said, “Give her something to eat”…

He didn’t just give back her life, Jesus took care of her hunger too. That’s how much Jesus cares for that little girl my friends.

Do you know, that’s how much Jesus cares for you too. When you get the NEW LIFE Jesus wants to feed you with Manna from Heaven, The Word of God.

Conclusion:

With Just a WORD the 12 year old girl received life.
With Just a WORD from God, the Universe was formed.
With Just a WORD from Jesus, Demons flew out of a man.
With Just a WORD from Jesus, The Storm was stilled.
With Just a WORD from Jesus, The Crippled man’s hand was restored.
With Just a WORD from God: Mankind came into this world.
With Jesus WORD Lazarus came out of the grave.

There is POWER in the WORD of God.

With Just a TOUCH: Moses parted the Red Sea.
With Just a TOUCH: Water poured from a Rock.
With Just a TOUCH: Jesus opened a Blind Man’s Eyes.
With Just a TOUCH: Jesus opened a DEAF Man’s Ears.

There is POWER in the TOUCH of the SAVIOUR.

My friends, Do you believe? Do you have faith? Do you TRUST Jesus can do all that He promised He can do?
He will come into your life: If you turn in faith and trust in His death upon the Cross for your sins. When you repent and put your FAITH in Him, He’ll do it. Do you believe that Jesus will come into your life? To give you NEW LIFE… Once you get NEW LIFE, you’ll also get a NEW HUNGER (New Desires) for the WORD of God. NEW DESIRES to live God’s way: His righteous life.

Just like you’ve seen others sitting in these chairs and believe they can hold your weight. You have FAITH in your seat.
So you can believe that Jesus will DO ALL He’s Promised: He’ll come into your LIFE today; Give you NEW LIFE, NEW HUNGER, NEW JOY… He may also give you FAITH to believe that He can do anything…

He’ll not only give you NEW LIFE, but a NEW HUNGER too.
How’s your hunger for God’s Word? It’s an indication of your place in God’s Family.
“Like babes in Christ, crave the pure milk of the word of God”…

DILLY & DALLY:
DELAY: When I was 12 Years Old. My mother ran a bath for me. She shouted out to me, “Donald, your bath is ready, the water is warm, come and get your bath before the water gets cold”… I dillied and dallied and by the time I got into that bath, the water was cold.
DON’T Dilly and Don’t Dally, the WATER of FAITH is warm today. Jump in and take the plunge and trust in Jesus.
DON’T Be Like the CROWD who LAUGHED: Jesus coming into your life right now might seem impossible, more than you can possibly dream, but Jesus is real, His promise is real, He’ll come if you just; Believe, Turn from Sin, Accept His Sacrifice of Himself upon the Cross for your sins and Receive Him by Faith… YES! You can do it today!…

What if you’ve done that already? You’ve TRUSTED Jesus.
Have you seen the new James Bond Movie? “Spectre”… James Bond is a Special Secret Agent Number 007.. He’s been selected and trained to infiltrate the enemy, wherever the enemy may be found. My friends, God has chosen you to be His Agents (Ambassadors) in this world. You are like His secret special agents; your number is 777… 🙂

You might still be laughing like the CROWD: What about the Plans God has for you? Have you laughed inside yourself, thinking I couldn’t do that, I don’t have the strength, the power or the personality… What’s God been calling you to do for Him, but you’ve laughed or doubted? Sara (Abraham’s wife got the shock of her life when she listened in on the conversation) an old lady having a baby; impossible. My friends, God might be calling you to do something for Him that at this moment in time might seem beyond your capacity, your ability, your power, but believe Him, recognise His POWER to do all things, even with you. He’s done it before and He can do it again through your life. Is Jesus calling you to use your GIFTS in His Service, in the Service of the Kingdom? Remember the weaklings in the Bible that God chose for great things; Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, they all thought they were not upto the task or calling, but God transformed them all.

So my friends, I’m going to ASK YOU: Will you TRUST Jesus Christ: The POWER of His Word, The POWER of His Touch?
Believe me and everyone else here today, who’ll tell you, “It’s TRUE: Jesus Christ has done it for me and He’ll do it for you too”.
Take the plunge, jump in whilst the water is warm and the time is right.
Reach out in Faith and FEEL the POWER of God coming into your life again today.

Don.

NOTE: When delivering this sermon at an All Age Service yesterday, I split it into two: The Woman with the Issue and then the 12 Year old dead girl.

I used another illustration to show the little bit of faith we might have and it’s power.
A glass of water held over someone’s head, up-side-down… The water didn’t come out because a flimsy piece of paper stopped it. The paper is thin, sometimes our faith appears weak, but it has a might force behind it.
When we use our faith, exercise the little faith that we have, Heaven’s Power is Available. Amen!

Daily Spirit & Word: 713:

Jesus Trial Gives Hope When Terrorists Murder.

Who Are You Going To Turn To When Tragedy Strikes?

Good morning my friends, what an amazing stormy night we’re experiencing, couldn’t sleep, so got up to read the Bible, God’s Word! 😛
It’s Easter Monday, the day after Resurrection Sunday. What aweful and terrible tragedies await us on the BBC News today? I was deeply saddened by the events last week, and yesterdays attack on Christians in Pakistan. The Archbishop spoke well in his Easter message about “Hope overcoming Fear”… These terrorist murders of innocent people are horrific and our hearts must go out to all the poor people affected. There is only one way that I know to cope when tragedy strikes, for me it’s turning to the Lord Jesus Christ, to prayer and to God’s Word and to worship. When I do that, I’m transported from the temporal to the eternal, to what’s more important / most important: People NEED Jesus, so let us do all we can to introduce as many as we can, whilst we can, to Him. Amen!

But just who is this Jesus?

When Jesus was on trial for his life before Pontius Pilate he didn’t say very much at all in response to the questioning, but I believe that’s because Jesus was innocent, the Scripture’s had already declared “The Sheep before the shearer is silent”, so Jesus didn’t open His mouth in his own defence, if He had, He would not have been Crucified. However, others should have spoken up for Him, but they didn’t either. Pilate should not have Crucified Jesus, because he knew that Jesus was innocent. Pilate gave into peer pressure big time, but that’s another topic altogether. I want to focus today on what Jesus did say, because what we gain from that will keep us strong in our faith in times of tragedy and terror.

Jesus’ Trial Testimony :

John 18:36-40 (NIV) 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” 40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

Our verses today comes from the first crucifixion trial of Jesus Christ in Pilate’s court. Pilate is questioning Jesus about the charge that He is a king. The answer Jesus gave is eye opening for Jesus’ followers today: Because, it speaks about the person of Jesus Christ, the purpose of Jesus Christ, and the people of Jesus Christ.

1) The Person of Jesus Christ.

“My Kingdom is not of this world” i.e. Jesus is indeed a King, but He rules a Kingdom that is not earth based or even universe based, it’s not part of Creation, it’s the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus also said, “for this reason I was born” This speaks to us of His Human Nature.

Jesus also said, “for this I came into the world” This speaks of His Divine Godly Nature.

It’s one of the most strange things for many people to get their heads around. We had it with some young Muslim men whilst out sharing the Gospel last week, they couldn’t understand how Jesus could be God and Man at the same time. “How could God die?” They puzzled. It’s a genuine and perplexing question. However, we cannot get away from the facts of the matter, Jesus was, is and always will be God. Even if he takes human form. Jesus ascended into heaven with his body that could be touched, He’s told us He’ll return in a similar way. We’ll be able to see and touch Jesus, He’ll not be like a ghost.

Jesus got hungry whilst on earth, but Jesus also changed water into wine.

Jesus got tired whilst on earth, but He also walked on water.

Jesus got angry when He saw what they were doing in the Temple, but He also forgave the adulteress caught in the act.

Jesus is both God and Man at the same time: It’s a TRUTH about Jesus we need to believe by faith, but it’s not blind faith, but on the evidence of God’s Word.

2) The Purpose Of Jesus Christ: He came as a Witness to Truth.

“and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”

Jesus Christ came as a Divine Witness to God’s TRUTH.

Truth today is in short supply. Truth today is being eroded. People want what they believe to be true to be accepted by everyone, even if it’s a lie.

For instance, a person born a man or a woman, can have their Birth Certificate changed if they have a sex-change operation. Gender re-assortment. A Birth Certificate is meant to be a statement of fact or truth, but now it can be changed to lie and cover-up a fact, that a man can now change his sex if he wishes. What a mess we’re living in, so it’s no wonder people have real difficulty with Divine Truth today. However, God’s WORD never changes, and the facts of TRUTH in Scripture are something we can depend upon, not just for this life, but for all Eternity. Praise the Lord!

Many people today say, “How do you know a politician is lying?” and answer, “Because his lips a moving”…

Is there such a thing as a TRUTH we can TRUST?

So what TRUTH did Jesus Testify about?

He taught us about many things; His main purpose was to give witness of the truth about the most important matters in life, such as: God’s Word, Heaven, Hell, Salvation, God The Father, Holiness, Satan, Temptation, Trust, Healing, Eternal Life, Life after Death, Judgement to come, Faith, Suffering, etc etc…

There is no more important witness for human beings in this world today.

Everyone need to know about these eternal truths revealed to us by Jesus Christ alone. They are unique and outstanding truths that can and will affect every soul ever born into this world.

3) The People of Jesus Christ:

“Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Jesus third Purpose was for the People who will listen to His TRUTH and receive Him as Lord.

Jesus calls people to Himself today by the Holy Spirit, everyone who “Hears the Gospel can receive the GIFT of Faith” Romans 10:17, when we respond to Christ’s Gospel call, we become the people who are “on the side of truth“, then Jesus TRUTH means so much more; it touches our hearts, warms our spirits, keeps our faith alive and encourages us when danger or trouble comes. Jesus Words of Truth have a lasting and life-changing impression upon everyone on the side of truth. The People of Jesus Christ are transformed by His TRUTH, they know Jesus words are meat and bread for life.

Conclusion:

So on this Bank-Holiday Easter Monday, after the beautiful worship of Resurrection Sunday, and the wonderful Good Friday Walk of Witness, and the Easter Eggs are all done and gone, when we see terror and tragedy unfolding on our TV Screens, cling ever more tightly to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who Is; God forever, Testifies to God’s Eternal Truth and Enlists People into His Heavenly Army of Truth. With Jesus by your side throughout your earthly existence we’ll be able to face any storms that come upon us.

Let’s keep praying for PEACE that we know only Jesus Christ can bring into people’s lives.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, today I come before You for my brothers and sisters in Pakistan and Belgium. Many of them have been murdered by terrorists, please send the Holy Spirit Comfort to everyone who has lost a loved one. Give them strength and in time the willingness and ability to forgive those who have torn their lives apart. Move Your people to respond with love, kindness and generosity towards our Kingdom Family members. Today I pray for their continued protection and provision for life. Let those in authority bring those responsible to justice. Let the cries and tears be wiped away with Your love and care. Amen!

Daily Spirit & Word: 711: Why Did Jesus Need To Die?

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”

He came to set us free from sin, self, Satan, God’s wrath and the Judgement to come.
Without Jesus Christ’s death upon the Cross, we’d still be; in our sins, rulled by self, slaves to Satan and sin, objects of God’s wrath and anger against sin and ripe for His Holy Judgement to come.

If we submit to Christ as Lord and turn from sin and experience His Salvation: Then we’ll escape and be set completely free.

Galatians 5:1 (NIV) “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Enslaved: Yesterday, before we set out on the Good Friday Walk of Witness, I arrived early at church to pick up the crosses we carry and was waiting for David and John who’d agreed to carry them. As I waited there was a man who’d arrived to get some food at the Foodbank. He was a regular visitor, but I’d never shared the Gospel with him before. We’d been chatting about lots of normal stuff, the weather, the sunshine, winter and Springtime being his favourite time of the year. I asked him if he knew what day it was. He looked puzzled and said, “It’s Friday?” I said, “Yes but what Friday?” He said, “Foodbank Friday”… We both laughed our loud. I asked, “Graham, were you aware that today is one of the most holy days in the Christian year? It’s called Good Friday, do you know why?” He answered, “Oh yes, that’s when Jesus died on the Cross”…
“Do you know why Jesus died Graham?” I asked. He said, “I don’t know, it was a cruel thing to do, because I know that Jesus was a good man”…
I said, “Jesus died for you and me Graham, He took our place on the Cross, but do you know why?” He said, “I don’t know why Jesus would die for me”…
Then I took Graham through God’s Commandments one by one, it was at that point in our conversation that David arrived. Then we both continued to witness to Graham. I think I was on the 3rd Commandment by that stage. “Blasphemy: Taking the Lord’s Holy Name and using it as a swear word: Saying OMG or Jesus in a conversation when you are not praying to Him, but using it instead of a swear word”

Do you know what Graham said?, “I’d never do that, I’d never Blaspheme Jesus or God”… He was blissfully unaware that he’d been doing it from the moment that I met him and began talking with him. So I gently pointed it out to him and he was genuinely shocked. He said, “So I’ve been blaspheming when I say Jesus Christ or Jesus H Christ or Jesus?” I said, “Yes Graham, it’s using God’s Name in an unholy way”…

You know some people, trying to be nice, think that saying “Jesus Christ” or “Jesus” is better than saying F—k or Sh-t… it’s less offensive and you can get away with it, but it’s taking the Holy Name of God and using it as a swear word. It’s taking the God who gave you life and bringing Him down to an disgusting level of a dirty swear word. That’s why it’s Blasphemy. You know that Commandment? Exodus 20:7 (NIV) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. “

David and I led Graham to an awareness of his need for Jesus Christ on Good Friday. We encouraged him to turn from his sin in repentance, letting go of sin and trusting in Jesus, and be saved from God’s wrath to come. To trust in Jesus and His love, when He gave His life upon the Cross, taking our place and dying for us. Graham thanks us for showing him why Jesus needed to die upon the Cross. Yesterday was a Good Friday for Graham.

We then picked up the Crosses and walked to Tulse Hill to meet everyone for the walk of witness. It brought fresh meaning to Jesus statement and command, “Take up your Cross daily and follow Me”…

Have an AWESOME Easter Weekend.
Note: Graham was enslaved by sin and he didn’t even realise it. There are so many, countless thousands, who are unaware of their need of Jesus Christ. They are trapped in all kinds of sin and wickedness that offends a Holy and Righteous God, they are storing up His wrath for the Day of Judgement. They don’t know why Jesus needed to die upon the Cross, but it was for our FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Jesus wants to set people free today. So let’s be prepared at all times to share the Greatest News they are ever likely to hear, they’ll thank you when they meet you in Heaven.

Praise the LORD for Gospel conversations.

Praise the LORD for Good Friday

What a walk of witness too, so many came from all over West Norwood, Dulwhich and Tulse Hill. I’m praying now that next year we’ll have to close off the road because of the multitude of souls walking for Jesus. Amen!
Don.

Daily Spirit & Word: 710:

Get Your Answer by Asking The Saviour.

Good Friday

Good morning my friends, it’s finally here, GOOD FRIDAY. The day when Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, are gathering together all over the world to REMEMBER what our Saviour did for us upon the Cross.

But before the Cross came the betrayal. Judas was the one.

John 13:22-27 (NIV) 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him,

What struck me from this passage this morning, that I’ve never seen before, if you want an answer to a riddle ASK THE SAVIOUR. John, the Disciple whom Jesus loves, was sitting right next to Jesus and prompted by Peter asks the Saviour who it is that’s going to betray Him.

“It’s the ONE to whom I give this bread after dipping it in the wine.”

The Bread (Jesus body) The Wine (Jesus blood)… He was putting his life in Judas’ hands.

WOWzer! Praise the Lord for revelation.

We can draw near to Jesus every day; in Prayer and Reading His Word; be like John the Apostle, get closer to Jesus and get your answers. Peter needed to ask John to ask Jesus, because he was not as close to Jesus as John. Be like John and get closer to Jesus than ever before in your life. You too can be THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED.

Today, as we Walk in Witness through the Streets of London, let’s Praise the Lord Jesus.

If you’ve got a question upon your heart today, then why don’t you just get close to Jesus and ask the Creator of all things, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Get Your Answer By Asking The Saviour: The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Have an awesome weekend.

Stay close to Jesus, be filled afresh with God’s Spirit today,

Don.

NOTE: Walk of Witness: Gathering at Tulse Hill Methodist Church @9.45am. Walk begins at 10.00am and finishes at St Luke’s Church, West Norwood @11.15am. Then into the church for fellowship afterwards.

Daily Spirit & Word: 709: The Sacrificial Lamb.

It’s the Sacrificial Lamb that takes away the sins of the whole world, the Lord Jesus Christ was that innocent, spotless, pure and holy Lamb of God.

Jesus Is That Lamb Of God

Good morning my friends, what an awesome evening of street witnessing last night.

Our numbers of regulars on the team are growing. Praise the Lord! Last night; Ben and Judy, David and Sherrie and Matthew and Gemma came. Lloyd couldn’t make it, but he’ll be back next week. We did some training by watching Ray Comfort’s latest video. He was preaching at a Youth Evangelism Conference: His teaching was about “The Greatest Sin in America Today”… You’ll have to watch it (Link at bottom of page).

After getting into conversation about the Video (The main theme being the Idolatrous Sin of America and false Gospel of Just believe in Jesus) we started out later than usual, about 6.20pm. But even though it was quite dark, people stopped and chatted. It was slow to begin with, mainly handing out tracts for Sherrie and I, but then we started getting into good Gospel conversations. Our intention when going out is not just to give people the message or hand out tracts, but to get into conversation with them about Jesus. In the end Sherrie and I had about 8-10 Muslim men all firing questions at us about Jesus Christ. Here in London we’re blessed with people from all over the world and South London, West Norwood, has a growing population of Muslims. I say blessed, because it gives us the opportunity to reach a world-wide audience for Jesus. Some of the men had met me before, we’d given them tracts, they’d obviously been reading them and it had sparked their questions. They asked things like;

Who was Jesus?

Was Jesus the Son of God?

How can God have a Son?

If Jesus was God, then did God die upon the Cross?

If you say, as we do that there is only ONE God, then how can Jesus be God and the Father be God, that doesn’t make sense to us?

These were really great questions; but then came their statements of what they believed: That Jesus was just a prophet, he died, he didn’t rise from the dead, but we believe he’ll come back again after another prophet Mohammed. We don’t believe that Jesus was God.

Changed the subject: Into a presentation of the Gospel.

I asked them all, “Do you think you’ll get into Heaven when you die?”

Each one thought they would. It’s helpful when you have a large crowd to ask each person listening individually, I did this quickly by saying, “What about you?” Then I asked why will you get into Heaven? They all said, “God will forgive us if we say we’re sorry for sinning”… Some added “Genuinely sorry”.

I said, “That’s just so typical, not just of Muslims, but everybody who doesn’t yet know Jesus Christ. Nearly everyone believes that God will forgive them anyway, no matter how they’ve lived, if they are sorry for their sins. Most people believe they are already good enough for Heaven, i.e. they’re not so bad as to deserve Hell forever.

My next statement got their attention: “God will not forgive you just because you are sorry for sinning”. There was a shocked look on some of their faces. I asked them, “What happens to a person caught in the act of stealing in the Middle East?” They all said, “They’ll get their hands chopped off”… Why? “Because it’s Sharia Law”… I said, “That’s right, Sharia Law is Just and must punish those who do wrong, just like UK law, but we don’t chop-off their hands.”… You can bet that every thief caught stealing in the Middle East is “Sorry for Stealing”, because they know they’ll loose their hands, right?” Then I said, “God is far more just than any earthly legal system; In His Holy Righteous Judgement, He’s already stated, “The Soul that sins shall die” no sinner can enter into His Holy Heaven” It’s amazing, they all nodded in agreement.

But they then went onto re-state their beliefs, “God will forgive us if we are genuinely sorry”… Most of them were still trying to justify themselves, but not all by now.

I said, “Listen my friends”, I asked each one their names, and continued, “Even if we’re genuinely sorry for our sins, God cannot just forgive us, He must punish sin, if we’ve not had our sins removed from our souls before we die, then we die carrying those sins with us to face God on Judgement day. “It’s like a thief appearing before a High Court Judge, admitting “guilty as charged your honour, but I’m really sorry”, then the just earthly Judge will say, “Good, I’m glad you are genuinely sorry, I’ll take that into consideration when passing sentence, but I must also punish you for your crime”… A just earthly judge will pass a fine or a term in prison. A holy and righteous God has already revealed what the punishment will be for any sin, eternity in Hell with Satan and his demons. The soul that sins will be cast into the lake of fire with Satan.

The Muslim young men all agreed, but were still clinging to their beliefs that God will just forgive them. I then went through the Commandments with them asking them individually,

“Have you ever stolen something?” They all admitted they had. I said, “The Bible clearly states that no thief can enter into God’s Holy Heaven”.

“Have you ever told a lie?” They all admitted they had. I said, “That breaks God’s 9th Commandment and no liar can enter into Heaven, they’ll have their place in the lake of fire”…

God’s standards of Holiness are far higher and out of reach than our own, so of course we want to justify ourselves. We don’t want to go to Hell do we?

Now imagine how you’d feel if someone, knowing we were all going to be justly condemned to Hell by God’s justice, came into this world and said, “I’m going to take their punishment, I’m going to die in their place for their sins. So that when they appear before God, He’ll allow them in to Heaven, because their sins have been taken away”… How do you think they’d feel about that person?”

The Muslim men said, “You are talking about Jesus and His death upon the Cross”… Yes I said, “Jesus came to die, He was God, but in His love and mercy, God sent His One and Only Son to die in our place upon the Cross, so that everyone who puts their faith and trust in Him and His death, can be forgiven for every sin, cleansed in body and soul, and made fit for entrance into Heaven”…

I asked them, “Does that make sense to you”… Each one said it did, but some of them still wanted more questions answered… I gave them a little booklet about Jesus, “Why did Jesus have to die?”…

Can you see my friends, it’s the LAW of God, the Commandments of God, that shuts the mouth of self-justification, because like a good schoolmaster it leads people to a knowledge of how they’ve sinned against God and their need of a Saviour, i.e. someone who’ll take away their sin and save them from God’s wrath and judgement to come.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, the only pure and holy sacrifice, who takes away the sins of the world. When we put our faith and trust in Him, then all our sins are washed away. When we get baptised we’re showing the world we’ve trusted in Jesus, we’re dead to our old way of living and when we come-up out of the water, we begin to live the new life in Christ Jesus. We’re filled with God’s Holy Spirit, who comes into our soul, gives us New Birth and enables us to live a holy life that pleases God.

Because of the Lamb of God, Jesus who died upon the Cross, His blood cleanses us from sin and enables us to enter into Heaven when we die. Praise the Lord! We have passed from death to life.

We may never know what will happen with those Muslim young men, I’m praying the Lord will give them; Faith to believe in Jesus Christ, Repentance from Sin, New Life and Eternal Life… Will you join me in prayer for them now? As we shook their hands, they wanted us to stay and answer more questions, we invited them to come and join us on Alpha.

Tonight: We’re celebrating the Lord’s Last Supper as we gather in Church. We have all the elements of the traditional Passover and read from God’s Word about the Israelite’s first Passover, then teach about Jesus new meaning of the blood sacrifice from the Gospels.

Matthew 26:26-30 (NIV) Jesus’ Last Passover Meal.
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Blood of the New Covenant: Jesus blood sacrifice upon the Cross was to remove and cleanse, to wash away the sins of everyone who trusts in Him. Why do we need our sins washed away? If we died without being cleansed then we’d still be in our sins and we’d face God’s righteous judgement. So my friends, TRUST in Jesus today: Believe that He died for your forgiveness, Repent (renounce and let go of sin), Receive Jesus Christ as your own Lord and Saviour, then LIVE the new life that He’ll give you as you are born of His Holy Spirit.

Have an awesome weekend of celebration of all that Jesus has done.

NOTE: Ray Comfort’s Teaching: “The Greatest Sin in America Today“. It’s not just America’s Greatest Sin, but the sin of a growing number of people in the world today.

NOTES: The Function of God’s Law:

The Function of God’s Law

The Purpose of God’s Law

1. What is it that the Bible says is “perfect, converting the soul”?

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalms 19:7)

It is the Law of the Lord which is perfect for converting the soul.

2. According to the Bible, what are four functions of the Law?

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)

A. Brings the knowledge of sin.

B. Stops the sinner’s mouth from justifying itself.

C. Helps the world to realize that they are guilty of sin by breaking God’s Commandments.

D. Acts as a schoolmaster to bring us to a knowledge of our need of Jesus Christ and His atoning death upon the Cross.

3. What is the biblical definition of sin?

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)

The biblical definition of sin is anyone who has broken God’s Law. Romans 3:20 tells us that “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” The straight edge of a ruler will always show the crookedness of a line. A lamb looks white against a green backdrop of grass, but in a snowy field that dirt upon the lamb is revealed. Dust in the air is invisible until you open up the curtains and let the sunlight in, then you’ll see millions of dust particles floating all around. So the LAW shows the sinner his true condition before God.

4. Who is the Law designed for?

But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (1 Timothy 1:8-10)

The Law is designed for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.

5. What has modern evangelism chosen to attract sinners to the Gospel?

Modern evangelism has chosen to attract sinners by using the “benefits.” Life enhancement is now used to draw someone to Christ. Many promises are made in which God will:

q Fill that “God-shaped vacuum” in your heart.

q Give you true happiness.

q Get you out of financial difficulty.

q Heal a broken relationship with your spouse, etc.

q Take away that addiction problem.

Give you last, happiness, peace and joy….

6. What happens when all the promised “benefits” don’t arrive?

“Accepting Christ” for the promised “benefits” is simply the wrong reason to do so – it is unbiblical. When the promised benefits fail to arrive, disillusionment and bitterness will grow against God and the person who witnessed to them. This makes it very hard to reach a person who thinks they’ve been ‘born again’ when they’ve really only tried a form of religion, i.e. they were false converts from the start.

7. Why should a person accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour?

Use the Law to show a person their depravity and the appointment they have with death, one which they will not miss. Unless they repent, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, they will die in their sins. They need to know that they are an enemy of God through their wicked works and that God will judge them in righteousness.

By simply using the Law of God, revealed in His Ten Commandments, and showing an unsaved person their need for a Saviour, it opens the door for us to share how Jesus Christ is the Only Good News for a soul on it’s way to Hell.

The Law also reveals the desperate condition of people in this world, they need a Saviour, who’s going to go out and seek and save the Lost?

Posts By Don Davis

God’s Word Daily

Reading God's Word Every Day.
"No Read, No Feed"
If you don't feed upon God's Word as you would your breakfast daily, then you are Spiritually malnourished for the rest of the day.
"Read & Feed"
When you read God's Word before you do anything else, you'll be fed, nourished, encouraged, strengthened, fortified and enlightened Spiritually.
DO IT EVERY DAY.
Go Get Your Glory Glow NOW!
Stay blessed in Jesus. Don.